Swaziland Things to Do

 
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Nhlangano and the South

by MikeAtSea

From the junction on the main route between Manzini and Matsapha, a good tar road leads to the South. After Sidvokodvo the journey is through the Grand Valley, with rural scenes of traditional Swazi Homesteads. Truly splendid mountain vista's may be seen, especially as the road climbs out of the valley near Hlatikhulu.Nhlangano, meaning "Meeting Place" is the agricultural centre of southern Swaziland. Here, for the rest and recreation at the end of the journey, is Nhlangano Sun and Casino. An added bonus, for travellers touring by road, is the proximity of Mahamba border post if they are leaving Swaziland for South Africa.Also south of Mbabane, as a pleasant excursion by road, is a circular drive through the vast Usutu forest project. This takes the visitor through the towns of Mhlambanyatsi, meaning "Buffalo Crossing", Bhunya and Malkerns.

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Piggs Peak and the Northern Region

by MikeAtSea

Turning to the north, from the main road between Mbabane and the Ngwenya border post, is a tarred and cleverly engineered road which leads to some of the finest scenery in Swaziland.To the left of the road and extending along the border is the Malalotja Nature Reserve. The entrance is close to the Forbes Reef, the remains of an early gold mining endeavor. The journey on to Piggs Peak is spectacular as the road soars to rocky heights and dips through river valleys. each twist and turn opens new vistas of timbered hillsides. Piggs Peak itself lives on forestry, today but was founded on the discovery of gold reed by William Pig in 1884.Nearby is the asbestos mining town of Havelock, situated in what could be a "lost valley" below Swaziland's highest mountain, Mount Emlembe, meaning "Spider". An interesting feature of Havelock is the cableway which carries the ore 20 kilometers over...

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Mkhaya Game Reserve

by MikeAtSea

In the southeast of Swaziland, the heart of the lowveld lies an unspoilt wilderness, haven to endangered species who roam the magnificent African bush. Mkhaya was established in 1979 to save the pure Nguni breed of cattle from extinction and is a proclaimed Nature Reserve. Its focus has expanded over the years to include other endangered species such as black rhino, roan & sable antelope, tsessebe, white rhino, elephant and other locally endangered species. Mkhaya Game Reserve, named after the Acacia nigrescens tree, comprises of acacia-dominated thornveld in the south and broadleaf sandveld in the north. Unique, intimate encounters with Mkhaya’s wildlife are almost guaranteed as all travel within the reserve is solely by Big Game Parks’ open Land Rovers or on foot (all guided). The reserve is criss-crossed with dry riverbeds, dotted with waterholes and has a network of intertwined...

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Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

by MikeAtSea

Mlilwane, Swaziland’s pioneer conservation area, is a beautiful, secluded sanctuary situated in Swaziland’s “Valley of Heaven”, the Ezulwini Valley, in between Mbabane and Manzini. With 24-hour access to the Sanctuary, guests are free to enjoy the neighbouring tourist hubs of Ezulwini and Malkerns, with their many unique attractions and craft shops. From the western boundary, the huge Usutu Forest provides a dramatic backdrop stretching into the distant hills. The Sanctuary covers 4,560 hectares and comprises of a southern and northern section. The southern section is predominately open grassland plains with middleveld vegetation, stretching up onto the striking Nyonyane Mountain with its exposed granite peak known as the "Rock of Execution".

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Hlane Royal National Park

by MikeAtSea

In the vast bushveld expanse of eastern Swaziland where the hot, still sun of Africa beats on the dry but life-giving soils as it has for thousands of years, and the rumbling roars of the lions are heard in the cool dusky evenings, lies Swaziland’s largest protected area, Hlane Royal National Park, home to the largest herds of game in the Kingdom. Hlane, named by King Sobhuza II, with its adjacent dispersal areas covers 30 000 hectares of Swazi bushveld, dominated by ancient hardwood vegetation. Hlane is home to lion, elephant and white rhino, with an abundant and diverse bird life, including the highest density of nesting white backed vultures in Africa.

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Big Game Parks

by ashley05p

Game drives in your own car or guided tours in landrovers. Mlilwane - smaller game (antelope, zebras, warthogs, birds, etc.) - you can drive through in your own car, there is a large rest camp with accommodation, food, souvenir shop, swimming pool. Hlane - Royal game park of the king with big game (lions, elephant, cheetah, etc.) - rest camp. Mkhaya - more secluded park with large game (rhinos, elephants, buffalo) - beautiful rest camp tucked away in the forest - you can do a guided tour by landrover or foot. I recommend going to all 3 parks but Mkhaya is my personal favorite. Mlilwane is the most relaxing and mild of the 3.

Visiting Swazi village

by Sininen

The dance is called umhlanga (reed) dance. Its original meaning was to draw the nation together and remind people of their relationship to the king. Young Swazi women came to Lobamba to help and repair queen mother’s home. The reed dance is also a showcase of potential wives for the king. A Swazi man can have more than one wife you see. At the time of our stay there were articles in the local newspapers about a young Swazi woman of 18 years old, who was taken to the custody of the king against her will and now the mother of the girl is trying to save her daughter. She had attended the reed dance earlier this year. Swazi dancers wore red, black and white and the dances were fast and loud. Swazi women were bit plump while the men were slim and fit and both managed to throw their leg up to the air without any difficulty.

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Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

by wadekorzan

This was the very first such sanctuary in all of Swaziland. It's a very small place so is easy to cover in a short amount of time. Within the game reserve there are zebra, antelope, giraffe, hippopotomus, crocodiles, and many different types of birds. You won't find any predatory type animals like lions or leopards. There are a lot of different ways to enjoy the game reserve, as there are guided walks, night safaris, horse riding, and bicycle rentals.There is an entrance fee that you have to pay to get in the park, which is payable at the entrance. They will provide you with a little map. This is a great place to stay for a couple of days. We stayed at the wonderful Reilly's Rock Hilltop Lodge, but there is also the Beehive Village, Shonalanga Cottage, Nyonyane Camp, and Sondzela Backpackers Lodge.

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See Hippos at the Milwane Game Sanctuary

by Waxbag

There is a small family of about 5 hippopotamus here in the Milwane Game Sanctuary. There is one baby and one hurt hippo that has a bad leg. There are very easily seen here in Milwane hanging out in lake at the camp ground. They get fed every day around 2 to 3 pm by the rangers. Hippos are the heaviest land mammal in world behind the elephant. It is also the most dangerous animal to humans causing more deaths each year, with exception to the mosquito. Hippos have enormous heads with long lower canines that can grow up to 18” (45 cm) long. They also have a pair of lower incisors that grow up to 10” (25 cm) long. An adult male can weigh up to 7000 lb (3200 kg). Although they are vegetarian they are fiercely territorial, which is what makes them dangerous. The males maintain their female herds by guarding the stretch of water from other males. They scent mark their territory by spraying...

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Swaziland - Mountains (Malolotja National Park)

by Beefy_SAFC

Like Lesotho, landlocked, and bordered on the north, west and south by South Africa - Mozambique sits on the eastern border.Very, very mountainous due to a volcanic past, this national park area is serious ankle twist territory for any walkers or trekkers and would give many Everest trekking veterans a run for their money.Malolotja National Park is an area of bleak yet fantastic scenery with it's own share of wildlife roaming in the park. It's not big five territory, though there's a fair number of antelope and some of the literature says there's a couple of bull elephants there as well.Note to Swaziland Government and King - I know that mining companies want to get into the area and I know you're dithering about whether or not you should allow mining in the park. Don't let them in for the sake of a bit of quick money - controlled tourism to the area could be just as lucrative.

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Fun things to do in Swaziland

Top 3 Hotels in Swaziland

Royal Swazisun Hotel  Mbabane

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Royal Swazi Sun (Main Road.)  Ezulwini

 1 Review and 25 Opinions  This hotel is part of a resort: tenniscourts, bowling greens and a golf course. There are three... 

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Reviews and photos of Swaziland attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Swaziland sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Swaziland
  1. Mbabane Things to Do
  2. Manzini Things to Do
  3. Lobamba Things to Do
  4. Bulembu Things to Do
  5. Nhlangano Things to Do

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Q:  I am a philippine national that will visit Swaziland for a 2 months business trip. There is limited information for Visa... 

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A: Swaziland Business Visa A valid passport, with at least 6 months validity remaining Two application forms, fully completed and signed Two passport type... 

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